U. S. S. PRAIRIE
10 FEBRUARY 1946
DEAREST FAMILY AND AUNT MIN,
IT IS NOW ABOUT ELEVEN OCLOCK SUNDAY NIGHT- AND THOUGH I JUST CALLED YOU UP THIS EVENING, DECIDED I MIGHT AS WELL WRITE TOO, FOR CHANCES ARE THAT I'LL HAVE LITTLE TIME FOR CORRESPONDENCE THIS WEEK.
THERE ISN'T MUCH NEWS TO SAY NOW THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THE MAJOR PROBLEMS, BUT AS I GO ALONG THINGS MIGHT REGISTER THAT I FORGOT TO MENTION ON THE PHONE. AFTER LEAVING YOU FOLKS I WENT BACK TO MY BUDDIES AND SHOT A FEW GAMES OF POOL. THEN WENT UP TO THE BOWLING ALLEY. UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS TOO CROWDED- AND THE WAITING LIST LONG. SO INSTEAD OF BOWLING WE WENT INSTEAD, TO ONE OF THE MOVIES ON THE BASE AND SAW BOB HOPE AND BING CROSBY IN 'THE ROAD TO UTOPIA'. I'VE SEEM SOME PRETTY SCREWY PICTURES BUT THIS ONE SORT OF TOPPED THEM ALL FOR NONSENSE. THE ACTION TAKES PLACE IN ALASKA- DOROTHY LAMOUR SHOWS UP IN A SARONG, SANTA CLAUSE SHOWS UP OUT OF NOWHERE, AND A SHAGGY DOG CHASES AROUND A SALOON WITH A STICK OF LIGHTED DYNAMITE IN ITS MOUTH. PLENTY OF LAUGHS AND FUN- DONT MISS IT.
REPAIRS FOR MY HORN OUGHT TO RUN FROM FIFTEEN DOLLARS ON UP, SO DONT BE SURPRISED IF THE CHARGE IS PRETTY HEAVY. I TOLD THEM TO AND ANY NEW PARTS NEEDED, AND TO GIVE IT A THOROUGH GOING OVER. BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY TRIPS TO H. N. WHITE, YOU'D BETTER CALL AND SEE IF THE INSTRUMENT IS READY. REMEMBER THE CARD IS IN THE SECRET DRAWER IN THE LIVING ROOM. I'LL SEND SOME OF THIS MONEY HOME, AND YOU CAN USE IT TO PAY FOR THE JOB.
VEEN WROTE AND SAID THAT WESTERN RESERVE WAS TURNING DOWN APLIC-CATIONS FOR VETERANS DUE TO AN ALREADY HEAVY ENROLLMENT. THIS SORT OF WORRIES ME. I'D HATE TO HAVE TO WAIT A COUPLE MORE YEARS MORE BE-FORE BEING ADMITTED TO A COLLEGE. HOWEVER, BY NEXT FALL THE EXCESS MIGHT FALL OF WHEN SOME OF THE VETS WHO WENT TO COLLEGE MERELY FOR THE FIFTY DOLLARS A MONTH INVOLVED, DISCOVER THAT THERE IS A LITTLE MORE TO IT. NEVERTHELESS, IN THE MEANTIME I'M GOING TO GIVE PLENTY OF THOUGHT TO A CHOICE OF SCHOOL. IF I HAVE ANY FREE TIME THIS SUMMER, MAY DROP AROUND A FEW SCHOOLS AND LOOK THEM OVER, AND FIND-ING OUT ANY DETAILS WHICH MAY HELP ME IN MAKING A FINAL EXCEXAIX** DECISION. KISKI WOULD BE A GOOD STARTING POINT FOR I'M SURE THAT THEY WOULD ME MORE THAN WILLING TO LEND A HAND AND GIVE A FEW VAL-UABLE POINTERS.
I WAS SURPRISED TO DISCOVER THAT AUNT MIN WAS AT OUR HOUSE. THAT'S PRETTY SWELL, BUT I IMAGINE THAT CLEVELAND IS PRETTY DULL AFTER A WEEK IN NEW YORK. SAY, IF I'M READY FOR DISCHARGE THE MIDDLE OF MARCH, DAVID OUGHT TO BE GETTING OUT MIGHTY QUICK. IF I'M STATIONED IN GREAT LAKES FOR A WHILE, I SURE WOULD LIKE TO VISIT AUNT MIN AND SEE DAVID AND COMPARE NOTES ON EXPERIENCES. THE LAST TIME I SAW HIM WAS IN BOOT CAMP. HM, A LOT HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH OF US SINCE THEN.
NOTHING NEW- I'M STILL ON THE DRAFT FOR TREASURE ISLAND THE FOURTEENTH. THE NAVY IS KEEPING ME AND THE REST OF US ABOARD UNTIL THE VERY LAST MINUTE. TOMORROW WE GO TO HUNTERS POINT TO CALIBRATE RADAR AND RADIONEGT EQUIPMENT - TAKE ON FUEL THEN TUES-DAY WE GET DEGAUSSED - THAT IS, GET DE-MAGNETIZED SO AS NOT TO ATTRACT MINES. WEDNESDAY WE FINISH OUR AVAILABILITY- AND THEN FINALLY THURSDAY I GET TRANSFERRED- HOW WONDERFUL.
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.
LOTS OF LOVE,
[Signature: "Bud" in handwriting]